A Tale of Ghosts, Vengeance, and Greed (Except For When It Is Not): The History of Yotsuya Kaidan and its Adaptations

Abstract

This paper discusses the evolution of the traditional Japanese Yotsuya Kaidan ghost story by analyzing its two main characters within Japanese cinematic adaptations in the U.S. occupied period of 1949 and culturally confused period of 1959. This analysis is then compared against the original kabuki play written in 1825, in order to understand why the adaptations made certain changes, and to what effect. This analysis intends to show the way a story’s message is a reflection of the beliefs and values of the time in which it was produced, and how contemporary history and events—like occupation, censorship, cultural confusion—will inevitably bleed into the media that is created during them, and thus are important context to recognize when analyzing film. Through thorough analysis of both film and contemporary history, this paper finds that there is always more nuance beneath the surface of what a film is trying to say, and how it chooses to say it, and the best way to uncover this nuance is through deeper understanding of historical and cultural context.